Hayes
HMX-1
Disc Brake System

Product Description

Unique to the industry, the Hayes HMX-1 uses all rolling elements which gives you stopping control at any speed. This brake modulates better than any linear pull brake or other mechanical disc brake.
Disc Brake Weight (6") 340 grams (Brake & Rotor). Incl

User Reviews

Weaknesses: the oil plug falls out leaving you without braking abilities and the service sucks as no one carries the parts the manufacture is AWOL as well

Bottom Line:

The disc brakes by Hayes in ht e100 series which is not listed stink I do not think disc rakes are for mountain bikes due to the weakening of the rims and I hope someone could tell me where to get parts and if there is a video to show how to bleed and repair these brakes without the use of a factory plug that will just fall out again leaving me withuot brakes and an oily handlebar.

Similar Products Used: no similar productr used cannnot imagine one with a worse design for safety the plug in ht eHayes 100 disc brakes should be a tapped and screwed in bleeder plug not a loose pop out or fall out plug.

Bike Setup: not sure it is a mountain bike that is for sure. Purchased for city use I would not use it on a trail as the disc brakes make the rims weak and they bend easy which is amazing to me considering it is a mountai bikeI spent a good bit of money on. A marin I would have been better as far as mountain biking goes with a single gear beat up fat tired rusty Schwinn

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Value Rating:

Submitted by
c-v-tich
a Cross Country Rider
from Croatia

Date Reviewed: July 22, 2008

Strengths: they stop you

Weaknesses: require too much maintenance - every other ride, they fade very fast - incredibly fast

Bottom Line:

initialy they worked good but after several months needed maintenace every 3 to 4 rides, when the pad contact screw unscrews moving the pad away frm the disc you're left with 20% of the original power in the midlle of the ride - could be quite unpleasent

Hasn't failed me in 2 years. I've ridden with brakes on down very steep and long hills and the stopping power is always plenty. It's no trouble to lock up the front wheel. Hydraulics have a much nicer feel but I'm not comparing these to hydraulics. Can't really assess value rating since I didn't pay for them, free is always 5 chilis.

Weaknesses: squealing, rotors warp too easy, and on slight downhills they loose the grip of the rotor due to overheating and make a god awfull noise. Also the calipers are near imposible to adjust after the system is only a year old.

Bottom Line:

If you can afford a better set of brakes I would not even look at these ones.they are crap for anything but gentle trail and city riding.

Similar Products Used: none but saving up for a set of avids as I hear the adjustability is great with them.

Bike Setup: 2003giant iguana disc stock

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Submitted by
Nevin Rallis
a Cross Country Rider
from Windham, Maine, USA

Date Reviewed: May 22, 2006

Strengths: They stop if you take care of them

Weaknesses: rotors bend easily. Stock break pads wore down amaizingly quick. Takes a bit for them to clean themselves after getting wet or muddy during a ride.

Bottom Line:

These brakes have worked for three years. I have just ridden with my slightly bent rotors and the performance is just as good. The original hayes brake pads are a joke. The replacement pads I got have lasted twice as long. They do take a lot of maintenance though. I haven't had any problems with the squeaking. A semi reliable product.

Submitted by
Jason Jackett
a Weekend Warrior
from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

Date Reviewed: April 26, 2006

Strengths: They have good stopping power when adjusted properly and must be kept clean.

Weaknesses: Well, to start, my Front Mx-1 caliper snapped in half horizontally. They have to be adjusted a lot, and they don't work at all with dirt on the discs. The inside knob adjustment sticks a lot, and you still need to use an allan key to turn it, unlike Avids.

Bottom Line:

Not worth getting. If you're interested in a mechanical disc brake, definately get the Avid BB7! FAR superior in every way. Or a V brake would be better.

I use this to commute about 30 km per day, on a paved track, but the bike picks up a lot of grime. If you were up for adjusting these things all the time, then fine they are pretty simple. But, I find that as soon as you have ridden in the rain or mud, they are totally out of alignment. The pads rub, the rotors seem to bend, they sqweek after any sort of muck gets in. Overall, unless you are prepared to constantly maintain them, I think they are really poor.

Similar Products Used: V-brakes...front discs on my old schwinn from target hahaha!...

Bike Setup: 2006 Felt Double-Shot hardtail w/ lots of customs...

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Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from South Cackalacky

Date Reviewed: November 19, 2005

Strengths: Simpler than hydralics, works with any levers, much better stopping power than rim brakes, no worries about mud.

Weaknesses: Noisy.

Bottom Line:

I got these because:1) I wanted to keep the special levers I already have (Delta Barends), and...2) I didn't want to deal with the mess, hassle and difficulties of a hydraulic system.

Yes, I knew they aren't as powerfull as hydros, for the reason that hydraulics provide a greater mechanical advantage This is a matter of physics, not quality. however, I'm a 170 pound recreational cross country rider and they work excellent for me. If you weigh 200+ pounds and/or scream down hills at 70 mph, go hydro, by all means.

As to whether they are unusually tricky to install/adjust or not, I can't say, having had no other DBs top compare them with. But after a little practice I found them pretty easy. I guess it's like anything "new", you just need to practice.

They are a bit noisy though, that I will agree totally with. While I rarely get any real squeal, they are certainly not as quiet as rim brakes. Sort of a loud "shshshsh" sound. I have read other posts saying that switching to different aftermarket pads improve this brake's performance, but none of these nice people have seen fit to name names.

But to anyone looking for good, inexpensive, easy to use discs, I would completely recommend these brakes.

Weaknesses: Tons of calibration and failure problems (although I seem to be a special case)

Bottom Line:

It came on the Sasquatch. The front caliper and mounting bracket was installed with shims. Nevertheless, it worked well until this season when my aggressiveness increased with confidence.

The front adjuster knob is now completely sized up, both front and rear calipers need frequent recalibrations (shims and seized adjuster knob make these difficult), and doesn't stay calibrated for long enough (I've had to recalibrate between trails a few times). Ended up stripping one of bolt-holes on the front mounting bracket due to over-torquing.

It's served me well for a season and a bit, but I'm looking into replacing them with Avids.

It took a little while to get them dialed in- another adjustment screw for the outside pad would make it a lot easier than having to loosen the mounting bolts and sliding the brake assembly. Once setup correctly, though, I haven't had a bit of trouble, they stop great and the pads last forever. Take your wheels off to avoid getting any overspray on the rotors when lubing your drivetrain, etc. If any grease gets on the pads, you will have problems. I use an automotive disc brake cleaner and it works fine. I've also heard of people using a propane torch to burn the grease out of the pads-something I'll try next time they get gunked.

Weaknesses: Pad placement knob can get stuck and back brake lost all power after 8 months.

Bottom Line:

I got these OE at a sale on JensonUSA. These are great brakes in the entry level disc arena. Their power is very good if you have some Avid speed dial levers. However, there is no pad adjustment knob for the outside pad and the pad adjuster for the inside pad gets stuck at the outermost setting and takes muscle to unjam it. Another problem was that after 8 months or so the back brake lost all of its power and was not usable. The pads were not really even worn! After replacing the pads they worked fine. I would recomend them if you can get them for under $50 a wheel. If you can't, just get some Avids.